


Family

by mothercetrion



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Animals, Dogs, Fluff, M/M, animal adoption, but its not animal abuse, the dog is loved :), very brief mentions of an underweight animal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24474475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothercetrion/pseuds/mothercetrion
Summary: Nightwolf finds an abandoned puppy in the yard of their home. He’s never mentioned getting a dog to Fujin, but… keeping the little girl can’t hurt, right?
Relationships: Fujin/Nightwolf (Mortal Kombat)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 38





	Family

**Author's Note:**

> warning: very brief mentions of malnourishment in an animal (but there's no animal abuse I promise)

Fujin had been away for a few days with Raiden, and Nightwolf had been "holding down the fort," as Fujin jokingly described it, until he was to return. He spent most of his time with his spirits, who were great company while his boyfriend was away. However, he spent little time outside, as it was the middle of winter, and a bitter chill had taken over the woods around their home. 

He found himself waking very early while Fujin was gone. He took his time alone to improve his spiritual strength and to try new techniques with his weaponry. Fujin was not there to plead with him to be careful with new ideas. What could go wrong?

He was training in the woods by their home, the sun hardly in the sky, when he heard a distant whimper in a bush.

Instantly, Nightwolf put his weapons away and listened carefully for the sound. He immediately knew that it wasn't a person but an animal of some sort. He didn't know what kind of animal, however. A squirrel? A wolf? Perhaps even a skunk? He first had to locate where the animal was before he could guess what they were.

He heard the cry again as a cold wind blew through the trees. He pulled his coat further around himself as he listened and moved towards the sound a second time. The crying was fairly consistent thanks to the wind, and he found the source when he pulled back the leaves of a thick bush.

In the bush laid a thin puppy.

To say that Nightwolf was stunned was a vast understatement. The nearest paved road was nearly two miles away; the path to their home was gravel for the entire distance. How would a puppy get out there? Where was its mother? Did it have siblings that were also nearby?

Pulling back the bush allowed the wind to cut deep into the puppy's fur, and the creature whimpered again but much louder. Nightwolf was quick to kneel to the puppy's level and reach out a hand as a greeting. Once he was sniffed, he lifted the puppy out of the bush and held it up slightly to investigate.

She was a girl. She was tiny, her eyes open and looking at him directly; she couldn't have been much older than a month old, five weeks at most. Her fur was thin from a lack of proper care from a mother dog; no wonder she was so cold. 

"Where did you come from?" Nightwolf mused aloud. The girl merely looked at him in response, still shivering from the cold. He hurriedly placed the puppy in his coat, making sure that she was secured before walking back to his home. "You'll be safe now, sweet girl… I won't let the wind get you."

The walk back to his home was short, and he hurried inside and gathered a soft blanket. He moved in front of the firepit and got the fire going, laying out the blanket and placing the puppy on top of it. She walked towards the firepit on shaky legs, the leftover warmth reaching her freezing skin. Nightwolf watched in awe as she moved.

She was likely a German shepherd, if Nightwolf had to take a guess. Her ears were rather large and flopped to the front, and her paws were huge, indicating that she was going to grow to be very large. He knew more about different types of  _ wolves  _ than dog breeds, but he at least knew what a German shepherd looked like. Thank the Great Spirit for that.

"What am I to do with you, girl?" he said softly.

He couldn't bear to leave her outside in the cold. She would surely die because she was so young and had no mother to care for her. He hadn't discussed getting a dog with Fujin yet, and since he lived with him, it only seemed fair to ask him.

But… But she was just so cute. She was nearly solid black, with the tiniest of brown patches around her face. When Nightwolf spoke to her, her little tail flapped about without a care in the world, despite it being likely that she didn't understand the words he said. She would move from looking at the fire to looking at Nightwolf, and every time she looked at him, his heart skipped a beat. It was clear that she was a sweet girl that just needed a great home.

Oh well. Fujin would understand.

In a thicker coat and carrying a small blanket, he and the puppy traveled up the road to the store near their home. The other shop attendants cooed at the girl in Nightwolf's arms, and they helped him purchase the essentials—a collar, good food, and even some toys so she wouldn't destroy his belongings.

"I don't think your handsome husband would be fond of her destroying his things while he's gone," one of the older women teased. Nightwolf blushed wildly at the mention of Fujin, though he did agree. He didn't have the heart to tell them that he and Fujin weren't even married yet.

They arrived back home, and Nightwolf allowed the puppy some time to try and use the bathroom. She did pee, and Nightwolf encouraged the behavior before going back inside. Nearly immediately, the girl settled down in front of the fire and fell asleep. Nightwolf could hardly contain his joy at how cute she was.

He found the old house phone and dialed the Sky Temple. He was thankful that Raiden had installed the phone; it made getting into contact with him vastly easier. In addition, Nightwolf could talk to his boyfriend.

He dialed the number and waited patiently, and his call was answered after three rings. "Hello?"

"Fujin?"

"Nightwolf!" Fujin's kind voice rang in Nightwolf's ears, and he was smiling immediately. "How are you, my dear? The fort still held down?"

Nightwolf chuckled into the phone. "Oh, of course. Do you not trust me?"

"It doesn't hurt to be sure," Fujin teased. "I think I will be able to come home tomorrow evening, depending on what else Raiden would like to do."

"I'm sure he appreciates the company," Nightwolf said. "I assume you both are getting along and enjoying your time together?"

"Of course. We've sparred, talked about things that needed to be talked about. I've stolen his hat a multitude of times. All in good fun!" Fujin laughed at his endeavors, and Nightwolf couldn't help but laugh in return. Fujin was always a jokester when it came to his brother; his laid-back attitude in comparison to Raiden's serious one always led to clashes of interest. In other words, Fujin loved to take Raiden's hat.

There was a pause. "Fujin?"

"Yes, Nightwolf?"

"I love you. I miss you. I can't wait for your return." Nightwolf meant every syllable that passed his lips. Fujin was everything to him. He would be nowhere without the Wind God.

There was a long pause, and when Fujin spoke, he sounded nearly touched to tears. "Nightwolf, I… I love you too! I miss you, as well. I'm very excited to see you!"

They concluded their phone call with further affirmations of love, and when Nightwolf hung up the phone, his heart was full.

And then he turned around, and his heart stopped at the sight of the puppy using the bathroom on the floor.

The rest of the evening was spent with Nightwolf bonding with the puppy—after cleaning up after her, of course. They spent time outside getting used to a leash, and she would nap on Nightwolf's lap that night while he was reading. He eventually fell asleep in his position on their couch, both himself and the puppy too comfortable to move somewhere else to sleep.

When Nightwolf woke, it was to the ringing of the house phone. He carefully moved the sleeping puppy to another part of the couch as he hurried up, stretching his arms and answering the phone. "Hello?"

"Don't tell me I woke you?" Fujin sounded as though he were going to laugh. "It's past ten o'clock… It's a bit late for you."

Nightwolf looked over at the clock on the wall, and sure enough, it was late in the morning. Far later than he usually woke. "Oh… I must've been more tired than I thought."

Fujin chuckled into the phone. "No matter. I was just calling to say that I will be leaving the Sky Temple in a few minutes. I'll be home within the hour!"

Nightwolf grinned. "That's wonderful news! I'll be eagerly awaiting your arrival." He leaned against the wall and looked at the puppy sleeping on the couch. "And guess what?"

"What?"

"I have a surprise for you."

Fujin gasped. "A surprise?!" he said excitedly. "What is it?"

"Do you know nothing of surprises?" Nightwolf teased. "I can't tell you!"

"Come on… Please tell me?" Fujin pleaded. "I want to know!"

"You'll know when you arrive." Nightwolf stood from the wall. "Now say goodbye to your brother and get back home. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you later today." With that, the pair concluded their call, and Nightwolf moved to the couch to wake the puppy from her slumber. She stirred awake as the two stepped outside, and Nightwolf cursed to himself at the cold.

He placed the girl down on their porch and walked down the steps, and she followed him with clumsy steps. Nightwolf watched as she sniffed around the yard and peed in a bush, eagerly bouncing back over to him as he praised her. 

Once back inside the house, he fed her some breakfast while he ate some fruit from their kitchen table. He took his time eating, allowing the puppy some time to play with her toys to pass the time until Fujin arrived back home. They practiced playing fetch with a rubber ball, and she quickly caught onto it. Nightwolf was excited at how smart she appeared. The good she could do in providing them happiness and love… He was thrilled.

Around forty-five minutes after the phone call, Nightwolf heard footsteps on their porch, and he hurriedly lifted the puppy from the floor and moved her to the bathroom. He placed her on the floor of the bathroom and gave her a quick kiss on her tiny nose. "Your other daddy is home," he whispered. He knew that she didn't understand him, but he didn't care. "You can stay by yourself for less than two minutes. Surely you can't cause any trouble!"

The puppy barked at him in response, and he chuckled to himself as he placed her on the floor and shut the door. He didn't want the surprise to be ruined by Fujin walking in and seeing her immediately, and he worried about hiding her in his arms. Placing her in the bathroom alone was as good as it could get.

He opened the front door before anyone could walk in, and he was met with the sight of Fujin on his porch. The Wind God was just about to open the door, and at the sight of his boyfriend, he stepped back in shock. "Nightwolf!" he greeted cheerily.

"Welcome home." Nightwolf stepped onto the porch, and the pair immediately hugged. Even though he had only been gone for a few days, he was thrilled to have him home. "I've missed you dearly."

Fujin broke the hug for a moment to kiss Nightwolf, laying a hand on his cheek to pull him close. He grinned upon pulling away. "I've missed you also. I love my brother, but seeing you is always a joy."

Nightwolf returned the smile. He suddenly realized the speed required for his surprise, and he grabbed Fujin's hand and pulled him inside. "The surprise is in the bathroom."

"The bathroom?" Fujin questioned, following Nightwolf as fast as he could. "That's an odd place."

"Just trust me." Nightwolf stopped in front of the door and turned to Fujin. "It's very unexpected, I know, but circumstances came up. This is the best course of action."

"I always trust you." Fujin was clearly excited, continuing to look at the door in anticipation. "Open the door! I want to see!"

Nightwolf didn't hesitate a moment longer and pushed the door open. He and Fujin gasped in shock at the sight before them.

There was shredded toilet paper covering every inch of the floor. A chewed up empty roll was in the puppy's mouth, and she was chewing it up without a care in the world. In her two minutes in the bathroom, she had somehow gotten ahold of the toilet paper that hung off the roll, and she had destroyed it. Puppy behavior that Nightwolf didn't prepare for.

Nightwolf immediately ran into the bathroom and picked up the puppy, and he took the empty roll from her with a sheepish look in Fujin's direction. "I don't even know what to say! She has only been in here for a few minutes. I'm so sorry for the mess and—"

He was cut off by Fujin's loud laughter. He took a step into the bathroom and lifted the puppy from Nightwolf's arms, and he laughed a second time as she wriggled to get a closer look at him. "Don't apologize. Puppies are bad sometimes! Nothing wrong with that." Fujin cradled the puppy in his arms, and much to Nightwolf's surprise, he spoke to her. "You're just a baby, aren't you, girl?" he asked the puppy softly. He cooed at her trying to bite his fingers, still smiling from ear to ear. "You just got bored… I hope your caregiver gave you some toys to play with!"

Fujin looked up at Nightwolf, who was in the process of picking up the toilet paper to throw away. "I'll keep an eye on her, yes? I know you're eager to clean the mess."

He whisked the puppy away to the living room while Nightwolf hurriedly cleaned the mess in the bathroom. He actually enjoyed cleaning a lot; it passed the time, and sometimes, it was even therapeutic when Nightwolf was stressed or on edge. He was generally tidy anyhow, so cleaning was something that he found enjoyable. But as he cleaned the bathroom, he was stewing over his embarrassment instead of relaxing. He couldn't believe that the puppy made a mess of their bathroom in less than two minutes. He should have been prepared! How would he be able to convince Fujin that keeping her was a good idea? Even if he was thrilled about the puppy, it was not the equivalent of wanting to keep her.

Once the toilet paper was thrown away, Nightwolf carefully stepped into their living room. Fujin was sitting on the floor with the puppy, playing tug of war with her with a rope toy. He was still smiling, playfully taking the rope from her and waving it above her head. Nightwolf kneeled on the edge of the rug in the room, watching the pair with a smile. It was clear that Fujin was fond of her.

Soon enough, she tired out, and Fujin offered his lap as a place of rest. She crawled over and fell asleep nearly immediately. It was then that he looked up at Nightwolf, and his smile softened. "Come over here."

Nightwolf walked on his knees over and sat down next to Fujin, and he looked up at him. Fujin leaned over and kissed his forehead, noting his remaining embarrassment. "Do not fret over the bathroom. Not a big deal."

Nightwolf frowned. "It was a mess caused by your surprise. It wasn't the best reveal."

Fujin hummed in response and looked down at the puppy, gently petting the fur on her head. "So how did you go about getting this surprise? She seems malnourished for her age… Did she show up out of nowhere?"

"I heard her crying in a bush outside," Nightwolf explained. "I did not see a mother or any siblings around. I could not just leave her out there. She would not have made it."

"I understand," Fujin replied. "You are far too kind to leave her out there. The moment I saw her, I knew that you rescued her." He looked back up at Nightwolf. "I assume that the surprise is that… you wish to keep her?"

"We've not discussed getting a pet." Nightwolf rubbed the back of his neck with his hand—a nervous habit. "You know that I would have mentioned this to you, but the circumstances are unique. If you still do not want to keep her, then I'm sure someone in town will—"

"Nightwolf." Fujin cut him off with his name, and he immediately went silent. Fujin shook his head with a slight chuckle. "Of course I want to keep her! She is so sweet and energetic, even with her struggles… plus, I know that you want a dog. You love dogs."

"I do indeed." Nightwolf cast his gaze at the puppy in Fujin's lap. "Do you have any name suggestions? I haven't a clue."

Fujin nodded. "I do. Kiki."

"Kiki?" Nightwolf repeated. He contemplated it a moment before looking up at Fujin once again. "Any specific reason?"

"Well, it's of French origins. If I recall, it means 'double happiness.' I think it's fitting for two reasons. One, she will be doubling the happiness in our lives by existing. Two…" His expression turned soft. "She will be making the two of us happy. She's a new extension of our family that we will love very, very much."

Nightwolf thought of the name a few seconds longer before he smiled. "Kiki it is, then. The meaning is wonderful, as well." He slid a little closer to his boyfriend and rested his head on his shoulder, sighing contentedly. Fujin reached over and grabbed Nightwolf's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

And in a day, their family grew by one.


End file.
